You Are Not Sick

Hi and Welcome.

In our contemporary societies, we find ourselves frequently confronted with terms like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and similar mental health conditions.

YOU ARE NOT SICK! Life is not an illness. Life can be harsh, unfair, and unkind to many of us, but life is not an illness.

The first step in overcoming your issues is to realise that you are not sick and to stop buying into the sickness model, which often is likely to lead to medication for an ‘illness’ you don’t have and medication that you are likely to be on for life.

The second step involves starting afresh and recognizing that the challenges or difficulties you perceive as the source of your suffering may not be the true underlying causes.

I would like to start by explaining the reasons behind my decision to leave my ‘comfortable’ profession as a Registered Clinical Psychologist after a 33-year career. Additionally, I aim to share my rejection of the concept of mental illness. These reasons and my belief that mental illness is a myth are deeply intertwined, making it challenging to discuss the two issues separately. Nevertheless, I will do my best to provide clarity on both matters.

My professional background encompasses 33 years of experience as a registered clinical/forensic psychologist. During the initial two decades of my career, I was employed at Oakley and Carrington Hospitals where I fulfilled the crucial role of conducting psychological and neuropsychological assessments for individuals involved in court proceedings. These assessments were specifically requested by the Court and primarily focused on individuals awaiting hearings for serious crimes, including homicide cases.

Moreover, during my tenure at Oakley, I also provided individual and group therapy to the residents of the medium and maximum-security wards.

Following my departure from Oakley, I established a private practice that specialized in general clinical psychology. However, after an extensive period as a private practitioner, I decided to permanently step away from the profession. I arrived at the decision because of a few reasons, which I will elaborate on in the following section.

My Forensic Years

In the initial phase of my career as a forensic psychologist, like my colleagues, I shared the belief that if an individual committed a grievous crime, such as domestic murder, and subsequent investigations revealed the presence of a significant illness like schizophrenia or brain damage, then it was justifiable for the courts to deem the person not fully responsible for their actions. Consequently, it was believed that these individuals should receive treatment instead of a prison sentence. The understanding was that if someone had schizophrenia, for example, it was beyond their control, as a mental illness is a powerful determining factor in one’s behaviour.

Conversely, if an individual committed a crime and there was no evidence of a specific illness, although factors such as anger, jealousy, depression, or alcohol may have played a role, the prevailing belief was that this ‘sane’ person was fully responsible for their actions and subject to the usual laws within our legal system.

However, after witnessing first-hand, for three years or so, the actions of individuals who were genuinely kind, normal, warm, intelligent, and often deeply caring, engaging in disturbing behaviours such as murdering their partners in front of their children or causing significant harm to their children’s lives or their own, my perspective on the connection between sanity and responsibility began to shift. These experiences led me to question and ultimately reject the notion that sanity alone equates to complete accountability for one’s actions.

In addition to the medical and nursing staff, I had the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time with these individuals, observing them and assessing them as they awaited their court appearances. As a result of these experiences, I gradually relinquished my belief that labelling someone as ‘sane’ automatically assigns them responsibility for their actions. It pains me to say this, but I have come to believe that humans are not fully responsible for their actions. I do not make this assertion from a moralistic, or a civil point of point of view, but rather from a brain knowledge point of view.

Throughout our lives, we accumulate a wealth of knowledge, both valuable and trivial. However, most of us never learn about how the brain works and how it can play some dirty tricks on us.

Did you realize that our brain often distorts our perception of reality? While we dedicate ample time to learning about the processes of puberty or the importance of internet safety, we receive very little education on the intricate dynamics of relationships. Topics such as anxiety disorder or substance abuse are also often neglected in our educational curriculum.

It is important to acknowledge that both as parents today and in the generations before us, there was never a provision for a ‘marriage school’ where we could acquire valuable insights and prepare ourselves for the complexities of married life. We were not equipped with comprehensive knowledge on raising children, navigating the challenges of teenage years, coping with loss, addressing depression, managing marriage separation, or effectively dealing with unemployment.

Our education system often falls short in adequately preparing us for the complexities of real-life challenges and the potential disruptions that can occur within the functioning of our brains when our lives veer off course. Consequently, when individuals find themselves grappling with various problems, conditions, distorted thinking patterns, or addictions, it is no surprise that they often question themselves, asking, “What is wrong with me? What is happening? Why am I unable to regain control?” The lack of comprehensive understanding about how the brain can deviate from its normal state during times of adversity leaves individuals feeling perplexed and frustrated, unable to grasp why they are struggling to get back on track.

Furthermore, it appears that in our current era, when faced with unfavourable circumstances, some individuals perceive slipping into a state of ‘mental illness or ‘psychological disorder,’ as their only viable option. Sadly, a considerable number of the clients I encounter have been prescribed antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications by their doctors or psychiatrists before seeking my assistance. With this in mind, let’s delve into the subject of mental illness and the prevailing chemical imbalance hypothesis.

Mental Illness – A DISEASE OF THE BRAIN – Yeah right.

Chemical Imbalance Hypothesis.

We have been led to believe that mental illnesses such as depression, schizophrenia, bipolar, and anxiety, are biologically rooted conditions, like medical conditions such as diabetes for instance. Consequently, they are often portrayed as definitive and medically verifiable conditions. Specifically, mental illnesses are often attributed to a chemical imbalance within the brain. Once a condition is labelled as an illness or a medical condition, it becomes almost automatic to consider it as requiring treatment, often through pharmacological means. In the case of depression for instance, targeting the levels of neurotransmitters, in particular dopamine and serotonin.

Considering this perspective, I encourage you to take a few moments to watch a brief two-minute video featuring Professor Timimi, a member of both the British College of Psychiatrists and the College of Evidence-Based Psychiatry.

Before watching the video, it is important to acknowledge that when seeking assistance from doctors or psychiatrists for personal psychological concerns, these professionals are primarily trained in prescribing medications. They often lack expertise in areas such as research methodologies, the intricacies of data and results validity, or the numerous technical aspects related to research design. It is worth noting that the pharmaceutical industry has also been shown to have powerful vested interests that often influence our perceptions and beliefs, shaping what is presented to us as factual information.

Professor Timimi, along with many of his colleagues, is currently challenging the British Royal College of Psychiatrists. They accuse the College of downplaying the significance of drug withdrawal symptoms and prioritizing the preservation of psychiatrists’ professional standing over the welfare of the public.

If you are currently taking medication and find yourself feeling concerned or unsettled about the ongoing debate surrounding the chemical imbalance theory, I would recommend considering reaching out to Professor Timimi. Alternatively, you may request that your doctor or psychiatrist provide you with concrete evidence supporting the existence of this purported supposed imbalance. It is important to seek clarity and information that can help you make informed decisions about your well-being.

In recent years, I have personally witnessed first-hand the strong reactions and offence that often arise when the concept of mental illness and the necessity of medication are questioned or criticized. It is not uncommon to encounter responses like, ‘How dare you suggest that I don’t have a mental illness, or that I don’t require medication?” Such reactions highlight the deeply ingrained beliefs and emotional attachments that individuals may have towards the notion of mental illness and its associated treatments.

I raise the question to these individuals: If we were to subject ten other people to similar life events that are often attributed as the cause or trigger of their supposed ‘mental illness,’ would all ten individuals handle these events in the same manner? Furthermore, would all of them necessitate medication because of these experiences? It prompts us to reflect on the individuality of our responses to life circumstances and challenges the assumption that medication is universally required in such situations.

As a professional in this field, how would you react to the following encounter with a 50-year-old female client seeking assistance for personal issues? Upon inquiring about her medication, she reveals. “Yes, I am currently taking anti-depressants.” Curious about the duration of her medication use, you discover that she has been taking them for approximately ‘24’ years. When you inquire about the initial reason for being prescribed medication, she explains, “It was in response to a hurtful relationship breakup.” Reflecting on this information, you can’t but contemplate the fact that it occurred ‘24’ years ago.

Not long ago, I received a referral from a senior colleague for a young doctor who found himself in a very dark personal space. After completing my Mindeasy program, this doctor expressed to me how he found the program interesting, educational, and powerful, and that it certainly helped him to get back into top gear. He also expressed to me, “I now feel like a fraud in how I have been prescribing anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications.” In response, I reassured the doctor, saying, “I want to emphasize that it’s important for you not to perceive yourself as a fraud. Instead, I strongly urge you to strive for continuous improvement as a doctor. Specifically, I encourage you to approach the prescription of anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications with caution, considering alternative options and engaging in discussions with your patients about potential alternatives”.